


A Perfect Night

by hamitme



Category: NADDPOD - Fandom, Not Another D&D Podcast
Genre: Best Friends, Friend Camping Trip, Goofing around together, Hill Home, M/M, Pre-Canon, haven’t realized their feelings, king of tall, spoilers from ep 70
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-28 18:17:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20430335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamitme/pseuds/hamitme
Summary: Beverly and Erlin spend the night camping (goofing around) together in Hill Home's woods, happy they're the best of friends.





	A Perfect Night

It was cobalt blue twilight night that bounced its reflection onto a pond and a jigsaw-puzzle-picturesque scene below

A tent was pitched before the pond’s sand, and a blanket laid out on the grass. Stretched out, looking up at the emerging stars, lied a pair of boys who had planned this night for weeks.

It was almost a tradition for Erlin and Beverly to come out here whenever, though infrequently, they were visiting Hill Home.

And this time, they deemed themselves finally old enough to camp out overnight at their favorite spot in the woods.

They had planned and packed all of the necessities, like a set of homemade fishing rods, a battered makeshift tent hardly big enough for the two of them, an almost-empty box of tackle, their dull pocket knives, and a few sticky buns thrown in by Beverly’s mom.

After an impatient breakfast, dinner, and (finally) supper, the pair set off, Beverly laden with the hiking pack, to their favorite climbing tree, and the most familiar spot in the woods.

The first order of business, having raced to set the heavy pack on the grass, was to climb the old tree and reminisce in its boughs.

There was much to remember, from the heights and initials carved into its bark at past visits, to the time Beverly hid up in the tree and almost fell while in the middle of a very important goof.

A few years had passed since the last time the tree was visited and heights were carved.

“We were about the same height last time,” Erlin remarked, running his thumb over the cuts.

“You’ve gotten a lot taller than me since then,” joined in Beverly, as he dropped to his feet from a bough. “I could tell you were going to, your feet have always been bigger than mine.”

He gave Beverly a grin, and joked, “Thanks for the compliment,” as he took his pocket knife out. “Why don’t I measure you first?”

Beverly stood straight against the tree as Erlin made a fine and careful incision in the bark above his head. Once Beverly stepped out under Erlin’s outstretched arm, he pulled out his own knife, deepened the line across the bark, and carved in his initials.

The boys swapped places, this time Beverly reaching over Erlin’s curly orange hair, standing slightly tip-toed, to make the cut.

Indeed, Erlin had grown taller than Beverly since last. They stepped back to admire their work.

There was always some superiority in being taller when they were younger, but now it was just a playful fact of life.

“Draw your blade, Erlin! We’ll fight to see who’s _really_ taller!” Beverly switched out the blade of his engraved pocket knife, which was actually all to dull to inflict any real damage, and pointed it skyward.

In his silliest voice Erlin exclaimed back, “I accept this challenge, Sir Beverly!”

A minute of fake fighting ensued, in which the boys threw each other exaggerated dueling poses, roughly copying those of a real Green Knight. The knives’ blades slow-motion clattered against each other, until Beverly, with a loud and very dramatic, “Hyah!”, knocked Erlin’s knife out of his lax grip.

Erlin laughed, “You are the _true_ king of tall, dude!”

“Thank you for the duel, comrade. Let’s shake on it!”

It was a perfect evening to goof around unsupervised with a best friend.

They followed with an elaborate secret handshake they had come up with together at the last Green Teen Jamboreen, before Beverly stooped down to the forest floor.

“We should probably start putting up the tent, huh?” Beverly handed Erlin his fallen pocket knife off the ground.

Erlin looked out to the sun’s sinking position in the sky. “Let’s do it!”

A tent was set up expertly on the grass before the sand, and a compliment craved if an adult would have been around. It had been put up with careful pains, the steps memorized and perfected in the Green Teens.

Stickybuns in hand, they plopped down on the grass beside each other to take a quick break. The sun had begun to set, painting the pond and trees gold.

It was a perfect and cloudless night to spend camping with a best friend.

The pair of fishing rods were drawn out of the supplies along with the tackle. Beverly and Erlin sat side by side once more along the sand as they cast out their rods. There was no expectation of catching a fish, but some things that come unexpectedly are welcome and comfortable. Like a shooting star flying through the night sky on a tail of wishes to come, or the resting of Erlin’s head against Beverly’s shoulder, as they gazed out into the quiet water.

Reeds whistled softly, and a glow, like fireflies, warmed the inside of Beverly.

Contented, Erlin teased from Beverly’s shoulder, “I want a rematch. What do you say the first one to catch a fish is the _true_ king of the tallest?”

“You’re on.”

As if the winds whispered the boys’ playful game to the pond, a ripple passed around Erlin’s line, and a tug pulled at the rod.

Rising from Beverly’s shoulder as if from a stupor, he flashed a silent look of “no way” at him, before focusing on his line.

A tension of anticipation ran through them. Erlin stumbled to his feel, reeling in. Excited, Beverly jumped up as well, only to notice a root catch Erlin’s foot as he backed up.

“Watch out, dude!” Warned Beverly. He scrambled over, catching Erlin, who was still focused on his line, on the elbow before he could fall.

The surface of the water broke, a flapping fish splashing up. Beverly steadied Erlin’s shoulders while he reeled it into his hands. Erlin held the fish, and unhooked its lip.

Beverly waved his arms in the air in triumph for his friend. “Woah! Awesome, man!” Turning his wrist over, he minor-illusioned a camera in his hands. “True king Erlin, smile for the camera!” Giggling, Beverly pretended to snap a photo.

Erlin gave him his goofiest face in between laughs, holding the fish up in both hands.

The camera went up in a smoke of sparkles as it vanished, and Erlin dipped the fish back into the water. A moment of silence was spent. The water’s surface calmed until it looked like a mirror, reflecting the twilight sky above.

Erlin broke the silence. “Thanks for catching me back there.”

They shared a glance. Beverly nudged him on the shoulder with a grin.

“Hey, man, I’ll always catch you.”

It was a strange feeling that fed a slow-burning fire in Erlin’s heart. He couldn’t yet place what the warm feeling or sudden surge of butterflies in his stomach meant. Erlin looked into Beverly’s eyes. All his thoughts described it as,

“I’m so happy he’s my best friend.”

Erlin returned the nudge, fingering his fishing pole with an inward smile.

The sun was below the sky, stars blinking in and out, waving at Beverly and Erlin, who were lying side by side on a blanket set on the grass. On their backs they gazed up upon infinity, a sea of stars and planets.

“I read somewhere that people are all made up of the same thing stardust is,” Beverly began, “Isn’t that crazy? Me and you- and everyone else- are all made up of stars!”

A beat passed between the two. Erlin focused on avoiding Beverly’s eyes, as his mouth spoke for him,

“Those stars are really pretty.”

Neither of them really caught it.

Beverly, propping himself up on his elbows, pointed a hand to the sky. “I think I can spot where the constellation we learned about at Green Teens might be!”

Erlin followed his finger up to the stars, shifting closer so he could see. Once he pointed the location, Beverly rested his head back against the blanket. Noticing that Erlin had shifted closer, a curious tug pulled at his heartstrings. He couldn’t explain it; the pure happiness that lingered in his heart, or the pride his friend was tall and he was _his _best friend.

On an impulse, Beverly carefully tucked his pinky finger around Erlin’s.

It felt safe, and welcome, and comfortable, like the way Erlin folded his own pinky around Beverly's, and gave his hand a squeeze.

It was a perfect night to spend stargazing with a best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Do you ever see something so beautiful and perfect it looks like it belongs on a jigsaw puzzle?


End file.
